A flame in the dark
by 9arkwolf
Summary: Alex, a regular ach girl and Ethan, a Coates kid which just wants to be left alone. They share a fate, together with the rest of the kids from the FAYZ, a fate that will scar them forever. Which side will they choose?
1. Before it all began

Hey everyone!This is my first story on here, a gone fanfic telling the story from the point of view of two of my own

first two chapters or so are a bit more descriptive, as an intruduction to the pre-Fayz. Hope you

like it, any critiques or comments are welcome :D

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><p><strong>1 month, 6 days.<strong>

Sympathy. It was what every 'councillor' seemed to search for, hope for, when working at Coates Academy. Yet

they should know better. They were not going to find any of that there. They knew that. Everyone did. But they

could still hope, right? Wrong.

Therapists were annoying, especially when he didn't need one. Ethan wasn't crazy. He wasn't a psycho. Hell, he

wasn't even violent. Or at least not most of the time. He just wanted to be left the hell alone, was it so hard to

get? The therapist looked at him with pleading eyes, hoping for some humanity in the child before him. This made

Ethan smirk. Today wasn't just any therapy day. It was the best therapy day. Why? Because right before his

session it had been Drake's turn. And it was funny to see how the blood was taking time to come back to the

therapists face. Ethan could no longer recall the man's name. Lately Drake had scared so many of them off kids

no longer bothered remembering names. He remembered what Drake had told him right before leaving the room.

_'He's so scared I think he wet his pants. Enjoy'_ Was what the tall, lean boy with that devilish shark grin had said

before clashing fists with Ethan and walking off. Ethan had to hold back a chuckle. The man in front of him was

going through his files, blabbing on endlessly. But the boy wasn't listening, wasn't paying attention to his slightly

trembling hands, to his sweaty forehead, to his darting, nervous eyes. No, the boy's attention was elsewhere,

far away from there. Each time a new therapist came it made Ethan think about his actions. And it made him

accept, once more, that he did belong in there. He wasn't a threat to anyone, at least not physically, but there

was no real way of tying him down. Still, this was a problem that now Coates had to deal with. And it was the

main reason why he kept being called to see the therapist. His parents had dumped him there for a very specific

reason, but Ethan had been a problematic child before that.

"Mr Roberts, are you listening to me?" Ethan turned to the tired looking man in front of him. Of course he wasn't

listening. Why on earth would he be? The boy smiled a mocking polite smile. "Do excuse me doctor. I happen to

be a bit...distracted today". The man frowned slightly but went on, being fully aware that the boy wasn't going to

help make his job any easier. Why? Well, the answer was simple: he couldn't be asked. This was almost always

the case with Ethan Roberts.

By the time the therapy finished, the boy was dwelling between knocking a wall over or jumping out the window

and laying on the grass to sleep. Anger management issues. Yes, he had those too occasionally. Bottled up

frustration the last therapist had called it. Whatever. He wouldn't have it if they'd just leave him be. As he got to

the stairs he jumped over the railing and fell gracefully on his feet on the next floor. From an early age he had

been practising parkour, so this was his usual way of moving around. It also gave him quite a muscular

complexion, which was always useful in a school full of bullies. "You shouldn't be doing that, you know?" Ethan

gritted his teeth slightly but pulled a pleasant mocking smile, just like the one he had shown the therapist a few

seconds ago. "Bad timing Diana. Real bad timing. Hey, tell ya what? Why don't you go torment some poor

mindless soul for a while so I can jump outside and have a nap, yeah? Be a good girl?" The comment wiped the

smirk off her face almost immediately. Diana wasn't used to having boys answer her this way. But there were

two exceptions: Drake Merwin and Ethan Roberts. Diana strongly disliked Drake, and knew fully well he was a

psycho, so she wasn't expecting him to like her. But she hated how she seemed to have no power over Ethan

what so ever. It was frustrating. Insulting, even. She glared slightly at the boy. He, on the other hand, just

seemed to enjoy her reaction even more, his caramel eyes glimmering with triumph, a smirk playing on his

handsome features. She hated him. She hated him so much. And yet, she also found him enchanting. Which

made her hate him even more. She put a hand on her hip. "It's actually Caine. He wants to...show you

something". Ethan gave a slight growl but turned to follow Diana. Whatever it was, it had better be important.

But, then again, Caine wasn't one to waste people's time with nonsense. He was one of the few people who

actually had Ethan's respect, probably the only one in that school. He didn't fear Caine, but he knew better than

to step in his way.

**3 weeks, 2 days.**

The light breeze swayed the palm trees, the sun gleaming down on the high waves of the Pacific ocean.

Alexandra Hayes wonders down the streets of Perdido Beach, deep in thought. Why was Andy acting like this?

What had changed? She kicked a small pebble that was in the way. It had been back in summer camp. He had

been smocking stuff, taking drugs. Alex knew she wasn't one to think that a 13 year old should be doing that

but, well, if he was going to do it, she would've at least expected him to be discreet about it and not get caught.

But, she had to be realistic: It was Andrew who we were talking about. Their parents had found out as soon as

they came back from summer camp. And, lets face it, they didn't like it. And, well, Andy hadn't really been doing

that well in school, skipping classes and stuff. So, well, guess their parents decided they had had enough of him.

And Alex couldn't blame them.

She got to the beach and stared into the ocean, her dark brown hair swaying in the gentle early summer breeze,

tangling slightly. And she couldn't help but turn to look up the hill, where she knew it stood, following the

highway.

Coates Academy. That had been their parents' grand solution to Andrew's attitude problem. Or at least so they

thought. In Alex's opinion, sending him there had just made the problem worse.

Alex sighed heavily in frustration, remembering the way it used to be between them. They had both always

considered each other to be siblings, even though they weren't biologically. Alex's mother had met Steve two

years after divorcing her father, when she was three years old. This is when they both moved into Perdido

Beach. Though older than her by a few months, Andrew was also three at the time. Against all expectations, both

kids seemed to click almost immediately, as if they both had the need to have a full family again, as if a special

bond had always been there. Pretty much since the day they met, they had been inseparable. And, because of

this, Alex had opposed herself to sending Andrew to Coates. Because of this, neither of her parents took her

seriously when she said Coates was going to change him, and already had, turning him into a different person, a

bad person. The only thing her parents seemed to believe was that she was desperately trying to get her

brother back. And, in a way, she was.

She bit her lower lip in yet another wave of frustration. Alex hated dealing with emotions, dealing with stress,

dealing with anything, really. She was a straightforward person. She liked to keep things simple and few people

close. Of course, she had never anticipated that her brother would be so recklessly stupid. She had even

considered getting herself sent there too. But, deep down, she knew that was wrong, and she knew how much it

would hurt her mother. And it wasn't like their parents had much time for them anyway, let alone to even notice if

a teenage boy was acting 'strangely'. Hell, they believed strangely was the normal thing. But Coates had

changed Andrew. He didn't visit as often as he used to, and he would no longer hang out with her at the beach

or around the block when he was home. He would either lock himself up in his room or leave to hang out with

some of his Coates friends who were also out. Alex didn't officially know any of them but she didn't like them all

the same. But that wasn't the problem. The problem was she was loosing her brother, one of her best friends.

And it was all her parents' fault, for dumping him in that hell hole, for giving up on their responsibility as parents.

It was ironic, really. Alex had always been the stubborn one, the one that complained, the one that demanded

more freedom, the one that got herself into trouble. 'But, I guess I was also the bright one.' She thought to

herself, somewhat bitterly. Or at least brighter than Andy. She always knew how to get away with things. He

never really learnt. And now he was up there, in that posh prison, and she was down here. It was selfish, really.

The only reason why she complained was because she felt lonely. She had always been a sociable person yet,

she didn't enjoy many people's company. Again, this might sound stuck up, and somewhat contradictory, but it

was a fact. From an early age she had learned to read people well, to understand them. And, after years of this,

she ended up just staying by the side of those who were useful to her. Well, those and Andy. And now he was

gone she was left with her so-called best friend Danielle, and the girls from the cheer-leading squad. But she

didn't really like any of them. They were all shallow and superficial. Plain. Boring. But they were the ones who ran

the school. And, that was what highschool was all about, right? Being on top. She'd find real friends, friends who

she actually had something real in common with at university. But, even as she thought this, she felt empty. With

Andrew by her side, she didn't care all that much if everything in school was fake, because he was real. Well, he

and Dahra.

Alex cringed slightly. Dahra. She had once been a close friend of Alex's, maybe even her best friend. But then she

had started dating Elwood, that poor excuse of a boyfriend who, by far, didn't deserve her. And then there were

the twins, Anna and Emma. They were great, but Alex had found that lately, whenever she spent a lot of time

with them, they'd just remind her of Andrew.

She turned as she heard laughter from the shore. Two boys, around her age, were emerging out of the sea with

their boards, their wet hair glistening in the sunlight. She recognized them both immediately. Sam Temple and

Quinn Gaither, the two surfer boys from her biology class. They were an interesting couple, those two. Quinn was

very eccentric but rather charming and had good taste in music. And Sam...Alex didn't know all that much about

him. He was known as school-bus-Sam, for taking care of a rather rough situation in the highway with the bus

driver. And he had been on this a date once with Anna. But that was as much as she could tell, really. Still, out of

all the people in the school, she had always found him rather interesting. Like there was more to him than meets

the eye. Sadly, the boy wasn't much of a talker. Both boys came up to where Alex was now sitting."Hey Lex,

how's it going? Waiting for someone?" Asked Quinn as they approached. The girl shaded her eyes to glance at

the boys. Sam just nodded and the gazed at the ground slightly, his shaggy hair covering his blue eyes slightly.

"Not really, just...running away from home for a bit. Good waves?". Quinn smiled. "Good? They were wicked! You

should really give it a go some time, yeah? Join us next time we're in". "I think I'll have to give it a pass, since I'd

make a fool of myself, but thanks for the offer." Smiled the girl, also finding Sam's reaction to her presence rather

amusing. Quinn shrugged and, grinning goofily said. "Your call. Well, see ya Monday at school". They high-fived

each other and left.

Quinn liked Alex. They had been close friends in the old days and, even now, they would occasionally hang out

for music gigs. But he didn't like her friends all that much. And, well, he was a surfer now, which didn't leave him

much time for other things.

Sam smiled slightly at the girl as they left, watching Quinn wave at her with his characteristic enthusiasm. As they

walked off, Quinn said. "I don't get it, you know? I don't know why she likes being with all the stuck-up bunch.

She's not like that, at least she didn't used to be. Funny what high-school does to people, huh, brah?" Sam

nodded, not really having anything to add. Like Quinn, Sam didn't understand why Alex hung out with the people

she did. She didn't seem all that interested in them. But, well, who was Sam to tell? Not like he knew her. Quinn

went on. "Still...do you think she'd go out with me sometime if I asked her?". Sam turned to look back, slightly.

Alex was still there, stealing glances back at them and shaking her head slightly. For what he had heard Quinn

say, his friend and the girl had quite a lot in common. And, he had to admit, Alex was very pretty. Her beauty

wasn't model-like, like Astrid's beauty. It was a sort of wild beauty, there was a spark in her which made her

seem rather fascinating. But she was also intimidating. Like Astrid. Sam shook his head slightly. He really had to

stop thinking about Astrid. He really didn't have a chance with her. He turned to his friend. "You could give it a go.

Maybe she'll say yes. Though, I think Bette was saying something the other day about Lance and her? Don't pay

it much attention, though.". Quinn puffed, waving his hand. "As if! That pretty-boy doesn't have a chance." Both

boys laughed as they headed towards the town plaza.

From the beach, Alex heard footsteps and eager voices as they walked off. She smiled slightly to herself. He was

a weird one alright, Sam Temple. 'Damn, they suit each other well.' She thought, smirking. But then something

weird happened. She heard Quinn's voice. But he wasn't talking to her. She turned to look but the boys were

already quite far away. And it was Sam who was speaking, even though she couldn't tell what he was saying.

But, in her head, Quinn's voice sounded, though somewhat muffled. _'Maybe she would...right?Maybe not. But _

_Lance, no, Sam said...but then again...oh crap. I forgot mum's...oh well, if I go now, I might still' _Alex shook her head

slightly, eyes widened in confusion. It was as if Quinn's voice were in her head. It was like... A buzz on the side of

her shorts then warned her it was time to go back. A text from her parents. Andrew was home. She got up,

stretched and headed home, Quinn's voice no longer in her mind, yet still far from recovered from the strange

experience.

The smile plastered on her brother's face was a relief. A huge one. "Come. I have to tell you something.

Something huge" He stated, grinning in a dark sort of way. Alex felt slight panic. Had he done something wrong?

She shrugged it off. It didn't matter. Andrew was in a good mood. And she wasn't pushing him away. Alex sat on

the bed as her brother shut the door behind him. The next second he was on the bed, the force almost making

Alex fall. "What the hell?" Alex demanded. "Shush and listen. What I'm going to tell you, you're not going to

believe. Till you see it, that is. Tonight, after mum and dad are gone, you and I are going for a lil stroll, sis. I have

something big." Alex lifted a questioning eyebrow. "Big? And you're actually going to tell me? Wouldn't you rather

tell your little criminal boy band?" Andrew closed his eyes halfway, staring at her, bored. "Not this again, Lex.

What do you expect? New school, new friends, right? Look, the only way to survive in Coates is by being one of

them, k? I had to make friends. Well, or accomplices or whatever you want to call them. I had to. But that

changes nothing. You're still my sister. We're still in this together till the end. You and me. I'd never pull away."

Even though Alex knew Andrew was the type who liked to make things sound dramatic, she couldn't help but

smile as she punched him lightly in the arm. "That's what I like to hear. Now...why tonight?".

Alex stood there awestruck. She couldn't believe what had just happened. A few feet away from her, Andrew

was standing, arms stretched in front of him, palms out. Ahead, a vast dune made in the sand, a huge hill

forming. The sea was far from back to it's normal state, an alien wave clashing against the rest, loosing itself

deep into the blue sea. Her brother had done it. He had done all of it. Andrew put his palms down and walked

towards his sister. It was a good thing they were out of town. He was still amazed at what he was able to do.

He smiled broadly at the almost petrified girl. "Cool, huh? It's like I can create these sound wave things. I can

shoot them out from my hands. Like,bam, you know?" Alex was having trouble processing this. "How...how did

you find out?" She asked. Andrew shrugged. "I got mad and...well, bam. That was it" Alex's eyes widened. "Does

anyone else know?" Andrew smiled nervously. "Hey, relax, just Benno. Though" His face grew dark. "I'm not the

only one. There's more, you know? More kids with...well, abilities." Alex moved in closer to listen, the cool summer

breeze suddenly seaming much colder.

Connie Temple excused herself from the infirmary, saying she had to answer a call. She went to the teachers

toilets and lit a cigarette, her eyes tired, tormented. He had done it. She knew this would happen eventually and

yet, she did nothing. But then again, what could she do? A broken leg. Two fractures. The child had to be driven

to hospital immediately. He had fallen down the stairs. That's what he had said. But Connie knew better. She

knew he hadn't fallen. She knew that hadn't been an accident. And then she remembered Sam. She remembered

the beam of light. Was he safe to be around? She shook her head fiercely, exhaling the smoke from the cigarette

through her nose, her nostrils flaring. No, Sam wasn't dangerous. That day he had had a reason, he had been

scared. There was no reason for him to be that scared ever again. He would be safe. Her other son, on the other

hand. Connie held back tears. He was dangerous. Caine was a dangerous kid. He had done it. He had broken a

boys leg. And only God knew what he would do next. But, what could Connie do? Say the boy had some sort

of...ability to hurt? She'd be locked up before she could even realize, locked away from the world, away from

Sam. She couldn't tell. But she had to stop Caine. She had to. And her fear was that it wasn't only Caine and

Sam. She feared more kids were developing abilities. Abilities that would soon have terrible consequences.

Rinsing her face a few times, Connie took one last glance at herself in the mirror. She then breathed in deep and

went back to work.


	2. Just go home

**Hope you enjoy!^^ Next chapter is the FAYZ start!**

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><p><strong>18 days<strong>

Mr Trentacle started picking up his folder and papers. "Ok class, that's it for still have alot to cover on

this topic. The next topic will be the Civil War." With this said, he left. Half of the students had already left the

room. Alex didn't hear the bell though. Ever since Andrew had told her, she had been able to think of little else.

She had heard rumours,stories of some of the kids from Coates. Some told by her own brother. What if they had

abilities like her brother? She shuddered involuntarily at the thought. Andrew said a few did... And then there

was her. Lately she had felt...weird. She didn't know how to explain it. But as she drifted back into the real world,

she saw her chance to test her theory again. "Want to go to the cafeteria with me?" Alex turned to look at the

boy in front of her. , confident, smiley Lance. Girls liked Lance. No, they loved him. He was the

kind of person who got away with things easily. Just like Alex. Alex didn't dislike him, but she didn't find him all

that interesting either. She just found him good looking and, at times, rather amusing. She smiled, already

deciding on testing her theory. "Hey. Sure, I'll go with you". She got up and pretended to trip, letting herself fall

backwards. Of course, she knew he'd catch her. Or so she hoped. And he did. Before she hit the ground, Lance

grabbed her by her right hand, and steadied her with his other arm. "Wow, what was that? Are you ok? Are you

dizzy?" Alex smiled innocently. "Whoops. No, guess I'm just feeling a little clumsy". _Clumsy, yeah, right. I'm not _

_stupid, she totally planned that. She likes me. Sure does. And she-I have to say something. Something cool, or she _

_will... _Lance laughed nervously and started talking about the basketball game he had that Saturday. And Alex

smiled broadly at him. Little did the boy know that the reason for her happiness had nothing to do with him. She

had heard it. Muffled, like with Quinn, but she had heard. She had heard Lance's voice. In her head. She had

heard his thoughts. As soon as Alex managed to ditch Lance, Danielle was on her tracks. "So, not interested,

huh? Well that wasn't what it looked like. Spill it. Did he ask you out?" Alex made a huge effort not to roll her

eyes at the girl in front of her. She didn't like Danielle all that much. But she didn't normally ask questions or ask

much of Alex. And she was powerful in the school. But, most of all, she was the only one who knew about

Andrew, because they had been dating up to when he was sent off. And Alex wasn't ready to have the kids

know the truth. Coates Academy wasn't very...popular amongst Perdido Beach students. Alex played along,

twisting her hair as she spoke, eyes darting away. "What do you mean?" Danielle just smirked at her. And then

they heard a loud crash. When they got to the end of the hallway they saw a little kid. Her knee was badly

bruised and she was crying. Alex approached her. She extended an arm towards her, about to say something

comforting when the girl stopped crying and, smiling, asked. "It could be worse. Can you help me go to the

nurse?" Alex blinked at the girl's sudden mood swing. What the hell had happened? Alex looked at Danielle, who

was even more puzzled than she was. "Sure, come with me". When the three kids got to the infirmary, two more

kids were there, one crying hysterically. "Um, sorry to bother you nurse Gibbs. This kid hurt her knee" Explained

Alex, trying not to grited her teeth at the little, screaming brat. Danielle smiled. "Why don't you shut that kid up

too, Lex?". She said, pushing her friend forwards slightly. However, Alex hadn't been expecting it, so she fell

towards the kid, palms stretched out. In the last minute, she was able to stop herself from falling, grabbing onto

the side of the door. It took Alex a few seconds to relax. And then she noticed. "Oh, my, you must have scared

the kid into silence. Not that I'm complaining". Said the woman in front of them, laughing lightly. She had light

brown hair, pulled up in a loose bun, some gray hairs already showing. Her dark eyes, though tired, were kind

and warm, grateful for the sudden piece. The boy, no older than 6, who had been crying before, no longer cried.

Instead, he had a look of content, of satisfaction on his face and he waved the two girls off as if nothing had ever

been wrong. Alex was beginning to feel confused again. Danielle, on the other hand, seemed excited. "Oh my

God, have you seen that? You have this magic ability to, like, shut kids up and get hot guys' attention. How do

you do it?Oh, never mind! Though, I have to say, try using that gift" And it happened once more. Alex could no

longer hear what Danielle was saying. Why? Because she wasn't interested. She had something much bigger to

think about. It seemed it wasn't only the Coates kids. Definitely not.

"What do you mean he's not coming back this weekend? But I need to see him! I have to talk to him, mom!"

Shouted Alex. Her mother was taken slightly aback by her daughter's reaction. She wasn't one to raise her voice.

She knew better. That was Andrew's thing. "Listen, Alex. We've been through this. Andrew needs to be taught,

to be educated. If he keeps coming back, there's no full effect. We have to put some distance, honey." "Distance?

You're running away from your responsibility as a parent! Both of you are!" "Now, young lady, I will not take that

tone from you-" "Fine! Then I'll go upstairs and ground myself" "No, I think this is more serious than that! You are

not going to-" Alex's mother stopped talking, all of a sudden, her expression switching from furious to confused,

lost. And it was then Alex realized she had stretched her right palm out towards her mother. Alex's eyes widened

in horror, the sweat on her forehead suddenly cold, the air in her lungs unable to find a way out. She had felt it.

A rush of energy had gone through her and...what had she done? Her mother then moved again, as if she had

been temporarily paused by a remote control. "I was...hm, that's funny. I...I was going to say something but...oh,

never mind. I won't ground you. Just, don't get all worked up, Alexandra. It's not what a decent young lady

does". With this said, she left for the kitchen. Alex could not believe what had just happened. She stared at her

palm and slowly a smirk crept on her rose red lips, as it began to dawn on her the extent to which her power

could be useful. It was time for some googling.

**12 days.**

"Telepathy : Ability to read the thoughts of, or to mentally communicate with others. Empathy: Ability to read or

sense the emotions and/or control the emotions or feelings of others." Alex read into the phone. She heard a

gasp on the other side. "Are you sure about this? Like, how far have you tried to go?" Alex pressed her index

and thumb to her temples. She had been in front of the computer longer than she could take. "Not that much.

I've mostly tested the empathy. It seems I am able to sense other's feelings as my own if I wish to. It's like this

invisible cloak wraps around them, allowing me to feel. I can switch it on and off with my mind, no need to do

anything. But, if I want to manipulate feelings, then my powers are like yours and the rest, my powers also

concentrate on my hands. I've done it about 10 times now, discretely in most of the cases. I feel this gust of

energy leave me and I can manipulate people to feel what I want them to. Yesterday I stopped Orc from kicking

the living hell out of a kid and this Monday I stopped mum from grounding me." "Mum, grounding _you_? Anyway,

sounds like you've got a useful one for school sis, now I'm jealous. I mean, as cool as mine is, you can't just

shoot waves of sound at people." Both siblings laughed. "What about the mind power? Have you tried that?"

Asked Andrew, his voice eager for more. "I...I have. But it wasn't on purpose. I put a hand up towards Danielle

when she was turning her back to me but, when I tried to, well, change something, she just turned briskly to me

and asked if I had said something. I still have to test it but, it would seem, as I stated, that it's not only mind

reading, but telepathy what I have. I can communicate in thoughts. But I can't manipulate people, aside from

whispering stuff to them in their head. And that would probably just eventually drive them nutts" Both teenagers

laughed at this. Little did they know someone was listening to the conversation. Someone form Coates Academy.

Tyler made his way out of the room silently, and rushed to the other side of the boy's dorm. As soon as he

opened the door, he switched his invisibility off. "I've got some interesting news Caine" He stated. Caine smirked

at the snotty brat, as he knocked on the bathroom door for Drake to hurry in the shower and listen to the news.

**7 days**

There was a beeping sound on Ethan's wrist. The sound that announced it was time to go, at least if he didn't

want to get caught. And, for once, he actually didn't feel so bad about going back. Because now, getting away

from that building was the easiest thing in the world for him. He walked to the side of the roof and jumped.

Before, as much as he was a good _traceur_, Ethan would've probably opened his head if performing this. But that

was before. When he actually went down when he jumped. He opened his palms slightly and a gust of air

surrounded him, lifting him in the air, swaying his blonde hair, suspending him in the blue sky. Ethan closed his

eyes and rejoiced the feeling. Out of all the powers he could've developed, he had developed the one power

which could grant him his eternal wish. Freedom. But true freedom didn't exist. He knew that. This power had

certain conditions. The first one being, no one, absolutely no one, aside from the gang, should know he had it. He

shifted his palms slightly, levitating himself down, next to one of the side doors of Coates Academy. And there, as

soon as he hit the ground and started making his way back, he bumped into someone.

Alex had been so mad at her brother's refusal to go back home that weekend that she had decided to cycle up to

Coates and give him a piece of her mind. She had been so mad, she hadn't even been looking where she was

going. She took the corner and, BAM. The girl immediately fell due to the force of the impact, getting trapped

under her bicycle as she fell. She rubbed her bruised arm and looked at the boy she had bumped into. And her

blood froze. She couldn't remember his name, but she knew he was one of the boys in Andrew's year. A Coates

Academy student. His handsome features were menacing, his glare colder than any other eyes Alex had ever

seen. She gulped. "Who the hell are you at what are you doing in the private school grounds?" The boy snarled

at her. His voice made her even more terrified. And she couldn't help but remember the story. One of the stories.

Of a kid who came to this school. Who had shot a boy. Totally willingly. Just because he was annoyed. Could her

power help her against him? As she went through her possibilities, a lady, in her early fifties appeared. "What is

the meaning of this? Mr Roberts, you know fully well the rules of the school. No strangers are allowed in the

school premises and-" The lady seemed to realize, for the first time, the situation the girl was in. "That is what I

was trying to tell this intruder, Miss Morris" The boy defended himself, still stealing a few glares in Alex's direction.

Ethan didn't have time for this. He was going to be late. Again. And he couldn't be asked to visit that damn

councillour again. He didn't want to have to give explanations. Why on earth had that stupid girl decided to bump

into him? Everything was perfectly timed. He sighed in frustration. "Are you alright, miss?" Asked the woman,

offering the girl a hand. The girl, however, got up on her own, adjusting the chain on her bicycle as she did. And

Ethan noticed that she was taller than he had expected, and rather more imposing too. Still the girl averted his

stare. And Ethan couldn't blame her. Anyone who had bumped into someone with his mood in a place like this

was crazy if he wasn't intimidated to some extent. "I apologize miss...Morris, was it? My name is Alexandra

Hayes. I...I came to visit my brother, Andrew. He had a free afternoon today". As she explained, Ethan's eyes

narrowed. "Oh, that is alright then. Mr Roberts here is a friend of his. He can lead you to him. Here's a paper

explaining why you were late Mr Roberts. Consider yourself fortunate for not being asked what you were doing

outside the school building. Good evening, children" And with this said, she left. The girl, Alex, gave Ethan a

nervous glance. But he had no time to put here at ease. "If you know what's good for you, leave now. I'll tell

Drew you stopped by. Now beat it." As Ethan turned to leave he heard her voice, annoyed for the first time.

"What do you mean? I came to see my brother. Take me to him, just like she's told you to." As soon as he heard

that, something snapped in Ethan's brain. He turned around swiftly and pinned Alex to the wall. "Listen here, kid.

I'm no one's messenger boy, got that? If I tell you I'm not taking you, you take it like a bitch and beat it, you got

that?" Alex's eyes widened in shock. What the hell was that guy's problem? And the next thing she did, she did

involuntarily. Her wrists had been pinned to her sides, but her palms could still move. She aimed them at the boy.

And Ethan blinked once. And then a few times more. And then he stared at the girl before him. Her blue eyes

were gazing intently at him. She was expectant. But what was it she was expecting? Ethan tried to focus, looking

away. He was mad. No, he had been mad. But he wasn't any more. He looked back at the girl. She seemed to

relax, as if something she had planned had worked. Ethan let go of her. She immediately rubbed her wrists,

giving a few steps back, away from the boy who had attacked her a few minutes ago. "You've got it. The power."

It wasn't a question, Alex noted. She said nothing. Ethan started closing the distance between them. And Alex

felt threatened. She had turn to run but, the next thing she knew, a gust of air was surrounding her, holding her

up about 2 meters off the ground, right in front of Ethan. For a moment, she was grateful that she was at least

wearing shorts. "Listen kid, I-" He was interrupted by a phone call. He looked at the number. Andrew. Why, what

good timing. He picked up. "What?" On the other line, Andrew was yawning. "Turns out we're all free last

period. So, yeah, you weren't late for this one. Where are you?" Ethan turned to the girl, who had decided she

would be safer if she just stood still. "School side grounds. Make sure no one follows you" He hung up. "Your

brother's coming."

And, indeed, not even ten minutes later, a tall, lean boy, with shaggy light brown hair and light green eyes

appeared in the scene. He was followed by two other boys, which Alex didn't really know. Andrew's expression

changed radically the moment he laid eyes on Alex. His eyes were slightly hollow and his movements were

rushed, nervous, as if he were afraid of something. "Put her down, man!" He urged Ethan. And the boy did so,

letting Alex fall to the ground. Luckily, she was able to land more or less gracefully, without hurting herself. She

glared at the boy who had dropped her so carelessly. But he didn't seem to be paying all that much attention to

her. His eyes were focused on her brother. "What are you doing here, Alex?" Andrew demanded. The girl got up

and brushed herself off. "I came to see you, since you don't seem to want to come down and do it yourself"

"Then why did you come?" He snapped. Alex was surprised to hear such a harsh tone from her brother. But she

was also getting rather tired of being spoken to in such a way by these guys. "I came to see what the hell is up

with you!" She hadn't intended to shout. But she had. But Andrew didn't even flinch. Back when he was at home,

whenever Alex got even a bit worked up, Andrew would give in, would be scared. Now he seemed to be more

worried about something else. "Look, Alex, go home, ok? Just go home." Alex was about to reply but one of the

boys who had come with her brother cut her off. "Didn't you hear? Get moving!" "Stay out of this, Benno."

Andrew said. Alex glared at the boy who had just spoken. He was quite tall, much taller than her, and Alex could

feel a dark shudder creep through her. He was dangerous. The boy turned to Andrew. "Well someone's got to

tell her to piss off, and you don't seem to be up for the job. What are you scared of? That your parents will cut off

your allowance if you tell your sister you don't want her around?" Alex was shocked to hear this, and even more

to see Andrew turning to gaze at her, as if telling her what Benno had just said was true. "Andrew, what's wrong

with you?" She asked, trying to hide the hurt in her voice. Andrew looked away. "Nothing' is wrong with me. Just

go home already. I'm sick of you constantly being on my case. Go back home and leave me alone". And she did.

With one last look she grabbed her bike and, hoping on, rolled off, down the highway, away from Coates. Away

from that battleground.

Andrew felt sick. He had hurt her. He had hurt his little sister, the only person who had always been by his side,

who had always believed in him. He started walking off. "Wow, that was dramatic, huh? Though, I have to say, at

least she didn't cry. That would've been such a-" Before Fredericco could finish he was slammed into the wall by a

blast of sound waves. Without another word, Andrew walked in, followed by a smirking Benno. He had obviously

enjoyed watching Fresericco being knocked into the wall. Ethan walked up to the fallen boy. "You really need to

learn to shut up, moron. Next time it could be Caine doing that. And you could end up like Mark. Or worse" He

made a face, remembering how Caine had made the kid role down the stairs. All because he had said something

to Diana. Ethan turned to follow Andrew. He was his room-mate. So they would have time to talk. For now, Ethan

couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl. But he also couldn't help but wonder what it was she had done to him.

* * *

><p>As soon as Alex got to the beach she dropped her bike, stripped into her swimming costume and ran towards the<p>

cold Pacific ocean. She felt so hurt, so humiliated. And she had no one to talk to. Absolutely no one. After a while,

she decided she was calm enough to go home. And, in the cold, she realized what she should've done. She

should've grabbed his hand. Seen what he was thinking. But she had been too fired up to notice. She glared at

the sky. She had lost control. But, of course, how could she not? "In for a late swim, huh?" She smiled slightly as

she saw Quinn approach her. "Yeah, I was really needing it. What about yourself?" Quinn shrugged. "I was

coming back from my dad's work place. He's working late today, so mum sent me to give him some dinner." Quinn

then seemed to look away, as if pondering over something. "Say, Alex, have you had dinner?" Alex blinked. No,

she hadn't. And she was rather hungry. She shook her head. This seemed to please Quinn. "Hey, me neither.

Want to grab some food before you head back?" Alex smiled. That sounded like a good idea. And it would help

her get her mind off Andrew. "That's sounds great. Chinese?" "You're on" Quinn smiled, and both teenagers

headed towards the takeaway van in the Town Plaza.


	3. Caine's Aristocracy

**Ok,first FAYZ chapter!This chapter's only for Coates Academy. Next one will be on P then...I guess I'll mix them up, we'll see ^^**

**Disclamer:As much as I'd love to, I do not own the Gone.**

**Enjoy!  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>3 days<strong>

" Hurry up! I heard something's happening out there. Something big. And it's not like we can afford to miss this."

Ethan put his jacket on and followed Andrew out of the room. It was good to see he was back to his cheery,

cocky old self. Both boys went down to the main hall, were a crowd stood. It was then Ethan spotted the

ambulance. "Wow...what's up?" Andrew asked. "Mr Hobbs had an 'accident' apparently." It was Penny who had

spoken, a 12 year old Chinese-American girl. She smirked knowingly. And that was all Ethan needed. As he stood

on his tiptoes, he saw him. He saw the pitiful state Mr Hobbs was in, the way his legs lay on the stretcher, the

way his eyes were agonizing, showing way too much white. His expression grew dark. He had done it again. And

this time it had been to a teacher. A teacher who Ethan actually liked. He had been the only teacher who had

been able to live up to Ethan's expectations, keep his interest.

But there was nothing he could do about it, just stand there and watch as they dragged the man away. He knew

why Caine had done this. And he hated the fact that if he ever dared to even threaten her, Caine would be

against him. Diana had sure found a worthy bodyguard. Or a tool, more like.

* * *

><p>Drake and Ethan entered Caine and Drake's room, where they found Caine, lying on his bed. "It was you" It<p>

wasn't a question. And Ethan wasn't smiling. Caine sat up. "Is that a problem?" Drake smirked. "Is it true that

Diana cried when she told you about it? When she told you he had tried to force her?" Caine glared at Drake, the

books on the desk lifting up. "Shut it, Drake" "You do know she lied, right?" Ethan said. Caine turned to him.

"What do you mean?" Ethan made a _tsk _sound, as if dissing Caine but fully expecting that answer at the same

time. "He failed Diana. That's the only reason why she did it, Caine." Caine glared at him, the books starting to

float in circles. Ethan stood his ground, though his hands were ready. Caine then smiled. "Do you really want to

do this, Ethan? Let it go, ok? Don't make me send you to hospital with Mr Hobbs. You know I will" Ethan put his

hands down, but smirked. "Look, Caine, all we're saying is the minx failed maths. We were both there. And after

your big act, Bug told us she had gone to Compute Jack for him to change her marks. That's all I'm saying dude".

Bug was a little 10 year old brat who had developed the power to be invisible, or camouflage more like. And this

ability made him the greatest eavesdropper in school. Caine tried to hide it, but anger started to build up inside

of him as the truth dawned on him. He had been used. Drake smiled his shark like grin, his grey eyes enjoying

the scene. He looked at Ethan, who gave him the same look of amusement, his blue eyes shining with triumph.

Once again, they had got in Diana's way. And they were both enjoying it.

**1 day**

As soon as algebra finished, Ethan and Benno walked up to Caine. "Hey, Caine, I-" "Who was the girl, Ethan?"

Caine spoke calmly, as if talking about the weather. Benno looked confused, as if trying to figure out what he

meant. But Ethan had known almost immediately. He had feared this would happen. He played along. "What girl,

dude?" Caine smiled his genuine smile. "You were late for history last week. Before it was called off, that is. Bug

here says he saw you talking to a girl. He said you used your power." Ethan resisted the urge to gulp. How much

did Caine know? He calmed himself down and analysed the situation. Ethan was brighter than Caine, both boys

knew this. And, if he was subtle enough, he could get away with this. "Why so concerned, Caine? Can we not

have visitors any more?" Caine's mouth twitched. "I was just wondering why you used your power. But, more

importantly, I was wondering why Andrew seemed so... affected by her presence. Was this girl by any chance

Andrew's sister?" Crap. That was the first word that popped into Ethan's head. He then thought hard. Trying to

remember the conversation they had. And then he found the gap. They hadn't actually said anything that proved

this. He sighed, pretending it wasn't his place to tell. "Look, if you must know, it was Andrew's ex-girlfriend, ok?

When I saw her, I didn't know who she was. Then she asked for Andrew and said she'd look for him herself, so I

had to stop her. And then, well, Andrew told her to piss off, end of story." Caine nodded and turned to Benno.

Benno turned to Caine and nodded. Caine smiled. "Oh, ok. Was there anything you wanted to tell me?" Benno

shook his head and both boys brushed passed. They went to Ethan and Andrews room and sprayed deodorant

around the room to make sure bug wasn't there. Last time, he had breathed in half of the bottle and almost

chocked. As soon as Andrew came they told him what had just happened. Andrew winced. "He did hear then. He

heard our conversation." He then thought for a while. "Well, as long as we're here, she'll be safe".

**0 days**

Ethan wrote out the chemistry formula on the black board. It was easy, which made it even harder for him to

stop himself from drifting into thought. Since the Mr Hobbs incident Nurse Temple had been suspicious. Suspicious

of all of them. But that was only a little issue. The main one was that list, the list Caine kept. He kept a list of all

the kids who had developed...powers. He no longer even needed them to show. Diana had discovered she had

an ability of her own: To read powers. She said the power levels were like cell phone bars. And Caine's was the

highes: He was a four bar. Ethan, Andrew and Benno had all been told they were three bars. He wasn't sure, but

he had heard something about Dekka, a tough girl from his gym class, being a 3 bar too. And others like Taylor,

the number one gossip in the school and one of the most annoying girls Ethan had ever met; and Brianna, a loud

and hyper 12 year old, were two bars.

"Wow! Did you see that?" Ethan blinked and turned around. And he scratched his neck in confusion. Where the

hell was the teacher? He looked at the class. Everyone just stared at the teachers desk, wondering what had

happened. Caine got up, "Ok, who did that? Who has that ability?" Ethan was a little shocked at his bluntness

but, none the less, looked around the classroom. No one spoke. "Maybe I didn't make myself clear. Who did

that?" He asked, raising the teachers desk and slamming it into the wall. Some kids shrieked. Others just stared,

horror struck. And others, like Ethan, immediately turned to the door, expecting an adult to come in. And the door

did open. But it was Drake who came in, a smirk on his face. "I don't know what you freaks have done...but

school seems to be out" Everyone looked at each other, not understanding. As they left the room they found out

exactly what he had said. The school was empty of adults. "There is no one over 9th grade. They're gone" Ethan

said. They all wondered around, curious. Kids were nervous, excited, confused, scared. After a few hours, Caine

managed to gather them all in the grand hall, where they had a stage. As kids started settling, Caine spoke,

"Kids of Coates Academy. The adults, and everyone over the age of 15 seem to have... disappeared. We-" "But

where are they?".Chunk, who had been standing in the front row. Caine made an effort to be nice. "We don't

know Chunk, that's the whole point. So, as I was saying, we don't know where they've gone, or if this has just

happened here or-" He was cut off again by Chunk "You mean it could have happened in town too? Then where

are we going to get help?" Caine sighed, but still managed to pull off a kind tone. "It could have, Chunk. We will

soon find out. But this isn't the only problem. We also have no reception. Communications seem to have been

cut-". "My father has a jet. He can get here in no time. That should save us" Chunk said. Caine was about to

answer but it was Ethan who snapped "100,000 sperm to choose from, and you were the fastest? Seriously? He

just said communications are NOT WORKING. You got that, moron? How do you think you'll contact your dad and

his stupid jet?" Everyone fell silent. Ethan was normally calm but everyone new he was, well, a bit bipolar. Caine

smirked. Chunk looked around awkwardly. "Geez, sorry, you could be a bit nicer" Ethan pondered over throwing

him out of the window. Instead he glared at the kid and said. "I'll try being nicer if you'll try being smarter. How's

that?" He gulped but nodded. And Caine went on with his speech. But Ethan didn't relax. This was why Caine

thought Ethan was useful: He was probably the brightest kid in school, he had strong powers, but, most of all,

he was dangerous if ticked off. Not Drake dangerous, but scary dangerous.

* * *

><p>Drake put his feet up on the headmistress' desk, leaning back on his big studio chair. Diana leaned against the<p>

wall, fidgeting with her nails. Bug, Penny, Fredericco, and the rest of Caine's new 'clique' stood or sat scattered

around the room, listening carefully to what Caine had been saying. Caine had been standing in the centre of the

room, giving away a feeling of magnificence, of confidence. Caine had made sure some like Ethan, or Computer

Jack didn't attend. He was afraid of their reaction. They'd find out later. "Plastering I've called it" Added Drake,

smiling, delighted at the sheer thought. "You want to... cement their hands?" "Do you have a problem with that,

Jared?" The boy shook his head feverishly. Caine smiled. That's what he thought.

* * *

><p>"Let's think for a second. What's the situation?" Caine asked. Ethan was sitting on the window sill, back to one<p>

side of the window, feet pushing on the other. He had been wondering around for a while and had decided he

might as well join Caine's little 'take over Coates' party. He sat up as he spoke. "All the people 15 and over have

disappeared. There's a giant wall thing out there. We don't know the perimeter it covers or how deep down it

goes into earth. Bug has had a look down the motorway. The adults have disappeared in town too." Caine

smirked, getting up and putting his hands behind his back. "Therefore, the most logical move would be to go into

town, right?" Ethan looked at him for a moment, then at Benno, and then out the window. "Dunno dude. You're

kinda running things here and it's not like we have little kids but, town? Right now it could be crazy to just go in

there: Kids crying, bullies getting violent, confusion-" "Caos. The perfect moment to strike" Said Drake, smirking,

twirling around in the headmistress's chair. Diana snorted. "We want to take over Drake, not massacre." "But,

Drake has a point: We will arrive in the middle of the caos, organized, sure of ourselves. And they will fall for it,

they will believe every word we say". Everyone seemed to agree with this. "Ok. We will head down the day after

tomorrow. I will take some kids with me down there to give a good impression. We must rehearse it. Diana, Jack,

Ethan and Drake, you'll be coming down with me. Benno, I leave you in charge of things up here. Frederico,

Andrew, you will serve as backup. You will run things up here and... I will give you some further instructions

later." Ethan turned to study Caine's face. He hadn't liked the way he had said that last sentence, like he was

going to do something which he wasn't that sure was right. But he ignored this when he noticed Andrew shift in

his chair. He was obviously worried about his sister.


	4. Caos

**Fourth chapter, the FAYZ start in P beach. Give opinions please!**

* * *

><p>"And I went to the shop assistant and-". Alex looked up as she heard a gasp. She looked at Amy, who was<p>

staring at the space next to Alex, gaping. Alex turned and blinked once. And again. And once more. A moment

ago Danielle had been sitting right beside her, blabbing on about some irrelevant thing that happened to her.

But she was no longer there. She was simply...not. "Say... did Dany leave?" Asked Charlotte, more to Alex than

to any of the other girls. Before Alex could answer, another girl, Ruth said, "Hey, Elise's gone too". They started

hearing voices outside. Amy got up and headed for the door. The rest of the girls followed out of the changing

rooms. As soon as they opened the door they came face to face with the boys from their class. Alex spotted

Lance and walked towards him. He was talking with a 7th grader, who waved his arms excitedly in the air, his

eyes gleaming with enthusiasm as he told the older boy something. As she walked up to the boy, she caught on

the conversation. "-disappeared. All the teachers! School's out, man!" "I have no reception" A girl behind Alex

said, moving around, staring at her phone. Lance kept talking to the boy. "What do you mean?" "I mean that. We

were in maths class, right? And, I was up at the blackboard, right? The teacher was telling me off for not doing

my homework and suddenly, he disappeared. Like that!" He said, snapping his fingers in front of his face. Lance

stared at him wearily. Luke, the guy standing closest to him seemed to take the news better. "No teachers? You

serious, man? Let's check it out!" And he ran up the stairs, towards the main corridor, most of the kids following

behind. Only Lance and Alex were left behind. "Come on, I want to hear the explanation for this." The boy said.

Alex shook her head, staring at the changing rooms. "The teachers aren't the only one's missing. Danielle and

Elise too. And they were in the changing rooms Lance. This is... I'm scared." The boy walked up to her and put an

arm on her shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile. "It'll be ok, don't worry. I'm sure there's a logical explanation

to this all". He grabbed her hand. But, as soon as he touched her, she yanked it away and rushed passed him.

'The idiot. Here I am, scared something serious is going on and all he thinks about is using this situation to flirt.

Gotta love puberty' She thought, angrily. She was so fired up she almost bumped into someone as she came up

the stairs. That someone was Astrid Ellison. Astrid the Genius. Alex cringed. She didn't like Astrid. Well, no, a

more appropriate way of putting it was that she was jealous of her. She had it all: Looks, attitude, and brains to

go with it. Alex wasn't ugly. That wasn't the thing. It wasn't Astrid's beauty, but her attitude, the way she was

always so sure of herself, what Alex envied. But Astrid looked different today. She looked deeply concerned. And

this frightened Alex. What could worry Astrid the Genius? Alex then turned as she saw Quinn. "Alex, have you

seen any adults?" Alex was shocked at the way Quinn spoke. His usually cheerful and joky tone was serious,

worried. "No. They disappeared. So did some students. And we have no signal,and" It was then Alex heard. "Are

those car alarms?" Sam nodded. "Yeah. We're going downstairs to check the teachers lounge, see if there's

anyone there. Want to come?" Alex turned and, without a word to Lance, followed the other three kids. But there

had been no one there. And Quinn had started to freak out. Even Astrid had lost her cool. And now there they

were, watching what was left of Quinn's tranquillity disappear as he cried in desperation. "No, wait, maybe she's

in your house, Lex. Maybe she's there. Your mum and mine, they hang out a lot, since we're neighbours, right?

She could be there?" And without another word he shot out the door to the house next door. Alex wanted to

follow. But at the same time didn't. She couldn't face it. She just couldn't. What if this had all been her fault?

What if she had pushed this ability of hers a little too far? It was Astrid who left next, leading the way for the

other two. Sam followed her, deep in thought, fearing the same thing Alex did: that he had caused this. Alex felt

a knot in her throat as they finished inspecting, as her calls for her mother died in the darkness of the hallway.

She wasn't there. She was just...gone.

Next it was Astrid's house which, to everyone's surprise, Sam knew. Well, to Astrid's surprise. Alex hadn't read

Sam, but it didn't take a genius to know Sam was crazy about Astrid. But, for some reason, that struck Alex as

odd.

Astrid's house had been empty too. But there was an even bigger problem than that. "Where's your little

brother?" Asked Sam. Astrid yelled then, shocking all of them. "I don't know, alright?I don't know where he is!"

She immediately covered her mouth. "Call to him" Quinn suggested, embarrassed by his outburst. Alex could feel

it. She pushed it away, turned her power off. She had learnt how to control the empathy quite well by now. But

the telepathy...she shook her head. "He wouldn't respond, right?" Astrid nodded at the girl. "Exactly. He's

severely autistic. He barely relates to the world." They searched but couldn't find any trace of the boy. "Let's

keep moving. Don't worry Astrid, we'll find him". "Is that meant to be a pro forma reassurance or a specific

commitment". "Sorry?" Both Sam and Alex asked at the same time. Astrid shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. What I

meant was, will you help me?". "Sure". At this point Astrid seemed like she was actually going to break down.

And Quinn, always so joyful, was acting dull. Alex felt very awkward. She didn't know what to do. The only one

who seemed to be pulling it together was Sam, yet he also seemed like he was worried. Then it dawned on her.

"Sam...we haven't been to your house yet." He nodded and led the way.

On the way there, they came across two kids who asked Alex what they should do. She stared, unknowingly.

Sam told them to eat some junk food and head down to town plaza. However, Astrid didn't seem to agree.

"That's your solution? Have a cookie?"

"No, my solution is to run down to the beach and hide out till this is all over." Sam answered. "But a cookie never

hurts". "I'm up for both, actually" Said Alex, in an attempt to lighten up the mood. Astrid just stared at her and

started walking. Sam smiled softly at Alex and started walking too.

"This is it. We don't really believe in showing off, mum and I". Alex then felt Sam's uneasiness and couldn't help

but putting her hand on his shoulder, reassuringly. The boy turned to look at her, a weary smile on his face. She

had intended to use her empathy power on him, to calm him. But, as she activated her power and they made eye

contact, something very different happened. Her vision suddenly became blurry, her thoughts no longer clear.

She saw the house, saw two adults. They were fighting. And then, a beam of green light. Screams. Darkness. A

ball of light. Alex pulled back instinctively, struggling to catch her breath. Sam's expression changed, worried. But

he had felt it. "Hey, are you ok, Lex?"Asked Quinn, steadying her. Quinn was taller than Alex, and was quite

strong, so it wasn't too hard for him to catch her. Alex nodded, looking away, looking at Astrid, at Quinn, anyone

but Sam. "I'm sorry. I...I guess I'm beginning to catch up on the situation. Sorry Sam. Didn't mean to shock you."

He nodded, and turned to the door, the rest following. But, how could Alex follow? The kid in front of her could

shoot green lazars from his hands. Could she trust Sam?

"Maybe she's up the hill?" Suggested Quinn, referring to Coates. "No, it wasn't time for her shift yet." "Nurse

Temple" Alex murmured, in realization. Sam nodded, "Yeah, how do you know?" Alex shook her head dismissively.

"My mum has been up to Coates a few times for work. She's a doctor" She lied. She wasn't ready to say Andrew

was there. Andrew...was he alright?

Apart from a weird e-mail, they found nothing in Sam's house, so they headed for Town Plaza. Connie Temple's

e-mail had confused everyone, but Alex knew what she meant. Or at least she knew what she meant by 'C' being

dangerous. She didn't know names, but she knew many kids at Coates were like her. So...maybe it hadn't been

her, after all.

Screams. Smoke. Fire. It all happened in a blur. Sam went in. He went into the burning building. Alex saw Edilio

and a few others run to the hardware store. She didn't hesitate. "I want to help" She blurted at Edilio. He looked

at her, doubting her strength. "I...I don't think you-" "Look, I may not look like much, but I do martial arts and

windsurfing. Believe me, I can handle it. Now, _qué quieres que haga(What do you want me to do)_?" Edilio blinked

but smiled at hearing his language. "Grab this end, pull, and help me and this dude bring it out". As she had

promised, and to both Edilio and the other guys' surprise, she was able to take it. As soon as they got there,

Edilio dropped the hose and went over to pull Sam out. Alex grabbed the hose and started shooting water at the

burning building, another two sets of hoses doing the same. Edilio then motioned for her to bring it over. They

splashed his face. Nothing. "He's going to need oxygen. I'm going to get some. Wake him" Alex instructed.

"How?" Astrid demanded. Alex stared at her, incredulous. "Slap him, duh!" She did and then pulled the mask over

the boys face, after he was sick on the pavement. But Alex saw none of this. She lay beside the little girl, trying

to get a pulse, trying to hear a thought, trying to feel something. Nothing. She was dead. Alex closed her eyes,

trying hard not to let it get to her.

The rest of the day went by too slowly. Alex had been dwelling on whether to go up to Coates or not. But, when

she had finally decided to go, she had bumped into Emma. "Alex! I'm so glad to see you! Where are you going?

It's dangerous to head off alone now!" Alex got off the bike. "Yeah, I know but...listen, Em, I haven't been very

sincere to you guys lately. I-" "You're right. You haven't. You seemed to have decided the stuck up bunch were

better friends than us" She glared slightly. Alex sighed, looking at the floor. "Let her talk, Emma" It was Anna, the

other twin. Alex turned to them. "Andrew was sent to Coates." They both stared at her. "But, you said he-" "I

lied. I didn't want people to know. And, well, I guess I needed to be alone, to pull away for a while. I...I'm sorry

guys. I should've told you" The twins exchanged glances and Anna moved forward and hugged Alex tightly.

Emma looked away, towards the motor way. "Do you think...?" The other two girls shifted uncomfortably. Emma

shook it off. "It's the least of our worries now, anyway. Let's go back to Town Plaza for now, ok?" And they

headed back.

When they got to Town Plaze, the twins headed to the day care. Alex was going to follow, but she spotted

Astrid. She still wasn't a fan, but she decided the girl probably needed some comforting. "Hey. Did you-" "No. I

can't find him anywhere." They both went over to where Sam and Quinn were sitting. As they sat, Sam said

something that made Alex want to laugh and cry at the same time. "This is like the world's worst picnic". "I

believe that's what's called gallows humour" Both boys stared blankly at Astrid, whereas Alex looked away in

frustration. Why? Why couldn't she talk like a normal person? "Sorry, I have this annoying tendency of analysing

what people say. You'll either get used to it or decide you can't stand me."

"I'm leaning towards option 2" Quinn muttered. "What's gallows humour?" Asked Sam. And then, before Astrid

could say it, Alex said " Jokes you make when you're scared, kind of" Astrid blinked and smiled. "Yes, that's a way

of putting it." Then she added. "Other people, though, instead of joking, turn pedantic. And, in case you don't

know what that means, the dictionary uses me as an example." 'You sure got that right' Alex thought. Astrid

looked up at her. "Did you say something?" Alex looked at the two boys who looked at Astrid. "No?" Astrid

nodded. Alex felt a huge urge to slap herself. She had to learn to control her power.

They looked up to Sam. They all did. As they walked off, to look for Pette, kids would stop him, ask him what they

should do. Alex decided she had made the right choice sticking with them. Then she remembered. "Hey, I've got

something to do. Start heading. Catch you in a bit" And without a reply, Alex turned and left. Now that she ahd

told the twins, she didn't want to just wonder off. To her surprise, though, when she came back, she found Sam,

Quinn and Astrid had been stopped. Stopped by no other than Howard. She approached them. "What's going

on?" Sam looked like he was loosing his patience. Howard turned and smiled cockily at Alex. "Oh, wait, don't tell

me. She's going to be cheering Astrid on while you two dumb surfers teach her how to surf?" "We're going to go

now Howard" Said Sam, through gritted teeth. Alex felt uneasy for a moment, but Howard let them go. It was a

quiet walk. Sam walked ahead, Astrid by his side. Quinn and Alex walked behind. She looked at him from the

corner of her eye just a few days ago they had gone out together, for a pizza, had a great time. That afternoon

felt so old now. Quinn turned to her. "You alright?" But the tone of his voice said something more of the likes of

"Why are you staring at me?" Alex nodded and tried to make him feel better. "I've heard Clifftop's got amazing

suits that cost a fortune and have all sorts of luxuries. Luckily for us, we don't have to pay" She winked at him.

He smiled wearily. How could he not? He liked Alex. A lot. And, even though the world had officially gone crazy,

she was still there. And so was Sam, his best friend. He had to keep it together. No more outbursts like the one

back in his house. He looked up in front of him, at the back of his best friends head. Why go into a house on fire?

Why be a hero? It wasn't Quinn's fault if he was the only one left with some comon sense. He was glad Alex was

still speaking to him. He had worried she had lost interest in him after his null participation in extinguishing the

fire.


End file.
